192 FARTHEST XORTH 



aofain, and elitterin^ waves, after such a lono: time. One's 

 thoughts flv back to home and summer. I scanned in 

 vain to see if a seal's head were not visible above the 

 surface, or a bear along the side. The dogs are begin- 

 ning now to be very much reduced in strength and are 

 difficult to urge on. ' Barnet " was quite done (he was 

 killed this evening), and several of the others are very 

 jaded. Even * Baro." my best dog, is beginning to cool 

 in his zeal, to say nothing of " Kvik ' ; perhaps I ought 

 to cater a little more generously for them. The wind 

 which was about southeast in the morning subsequently 

 went over to an easterly direction, and I expect, to use 

 Pettersen's customar}- expression on board for a good 

 southeaster which drove us northward to some purpose, 

 ' a regular devil of a hiding." I am only surprised the 

 temperature still seems low. I had noticed a thick bank 

 of clouds for a long time along the horizon in the south 

 and southwest, and thought that this must mean land. 

 It now beofan to 2:row hisrher and come nearer us in a 

 suspicious manner. When, after having had dinner, we 

 crept out of the bag, we saw that the sky was entirely 

 clouded over; and that the 'devil of a hiding" had come 

 we felt when we went on. 



"I saw another fox- track yesterday; it was almost 

 effaced by the snow, but went in about the same di- 

 rection as the others. This is the fourth we have come 

 across, and seeins: so manv of them make me bes^in to 

 believe seriously in the proximity of land. Yes, I ex- 



